The Author's Draft-Chapter 62: The Fortieth Floor I

The Tower entrance was practically empty when Long Chen arrived.

Only a handful of disciples stood in line—maybe ten or fifteen total, compared to the usual hundreds. The courtyard felt eerily quiet, like a festival ground after everyone had gone home. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

*Well, this is convenient,* Azazel said. *No waiting, or crowds. You can just walk right in.*

"Where is everyone?" Long Chen asked.

*Probably still at the platform trying to comprehend that space-folding technique. Or locked in their caves meditating on it, or banging their heads against walls in frustration.* Azazel’s amusement was palpable. *Most of them have a better chance of making it to hell than learning that technique. The old man showed them something so far beyond their level, it’s almost cruel.*

"But he said the disciple with the highest comprehension would be rewarded."

*Highest comprehension doesn’t mean successful mastery. He’s probably just looking for someone who can grasp the fundamental concept. Even understanding the principle without being able to execute it would be impressive for disciples at this level.*

Long Chen approached the entrance where the same elder from yesterday sat at his post.

The elder looked up and his expression shifted when he recognized Long Chen—surprise first, then something that looked like disappointment.

"Long Chen," the elder said. His tone was neutral, but there was an edge to it. "Back already?"

"Yes, Elder."

The elder studied him for a moment. "You broke through to Foundation Establishment. Early stage, that’s good progress."

"Thank you, Elder."

"But..." The elder’s expression hardened slightly. "You’re here at the Tower again. The day a senior demonstrated a technique that could change your entire cultivation path. Instead of meditating on what you witnessed, instead of attempting comprehension, you’re here to farm the Tower for treasures."

Long Chen opened his mouth to respond, but the elder continued.

"You have talent, Long Chen. Real talent. Sixteen floors at peak Qi Acquisition—that’s extraordinary. But talent means nothing if you waste it chasing easy rewards instead of pushing yourself toward true understanding." The elder shook his head. "The Tower will always be here, treasures will always be available but opportunities to learn from someone like that senior? Those come once in a lifetime."

The disappointment in his voice was clear.

Long Chen met the elder’s gaze steadily. "I understand your concern, Elder. But I’m not here to farm treasures. I’m here to cultivate."

The elder’s eyebrow raised. "Cultivate? The Tower is a testing ground, not a cultivation chamber."

"For most people, yes. But I have my reasons."

The elder looked at him for a long moment, then sighed. "Your choice. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when you realize you’ve wasted precious time."

He gestured toward the doors. "Enter."

Long Chen nodded and walked through as the massive doors opened.

-----

The first floor chamber materialized around him—familiar stone walls, familiar platform, familiar interface.

[Welcome back, Challenger Long Chen.]

[Previous progress: Floor 16 cleared.]

[Note: Restarting from Floor 1 will yield no treasure rewards except for floors beyond your previous maximum (Floor 17+).]

[Continue from Floor 17 or restart from Floor 1?]

"Restart from Floor 1," Long Chen said without hesitation.

[Restart confirmed.]

[Floor 1 Trial beginning...]

The guardian materialized—a basic demon wolf, maybe Foundation Establishment Stage 1. Its eyes glowed red as it locked onto Long Chen and snarled.

Then it lunged.

Long Chen didn’t draw his sword.

He stepped forward and punched the wolf directly in the jaw.

The impact was explosive. His fist, reinforced by the Tyrant Demon Physique framework and Foundation Establishment cultivation, crashed through the wolf’s guard like a battering ram through paper.

The wolf’s head snapped back, its body flew across the chamber and slammed into the far wall with bone-crushing force.

It slumped to the ground, dazed.

Long Chen walked towards it calmly. The wolf tried to rise, growling—

Long Chen’s hand shot out and grabbed it by the throat.

The moment his skin made contact with the wolf’s fur, something activated.

The framework carved into Long Chen’s body flared with silver light. The pathways, the nodes, the entire spiritual network suddenly came alive with purpose.

And then the wolf’s blood began moving.

Not physically—its body wasn’t bleeding. But the blood essence within it, the spiritual energy contained in its blood, started flowing out of the wolf and into Long Chen.

Through his hand, his skin, the opened pores and the framework channels.

The sensation was strange—like drinking water but through every inch of contact surface. The wolf’s blood essence entered his body and immediately began circulating through the framework pattern, spreading to his muscles, bones, organs.

The Blood Tyrant Devouring Art activated automatically.

The wolf’s body shriveled as its blood essence drained. Within ten seconds, it looked mummified—skin clinging to bones, eyes sunken, all vitality consumed.

Then it dissolved into golden light and disappeared.

[Floor 1 Complete.]

Long Chen looked down at his hand. The red lines on his body were glowing faintly, pulsing with the absorbed blood essence.

He could feel it—his muscles were slightly denser, his bones slightly stronger. The improvement was minimal, barely noticeable but it was real.

*Well,* Azazel said, sounding impressed. *That worked even better than I expected. The wolf’s bloodline quality was trash-tier, but the Art still extracted every drop of usable essence.*

"How much did I improve?" Long Chen asked.

*Maybe 0.1% stronger overall. Negligible on its own, but...*

"But if I kill hundreds of demon beasts..."

*Exactly. Quantity can make up for quality, and this Tower has an endless supply.*

Long Chen clenched his fist, feeling the new strength settling into his body.

"Let’s continue."

-----

Long Chen climbed.

Floor after floor, demon beast after demon beast. Each one slightly stronger than the last, each one contributing blood essence to his physique refinement.

By Floor 10, he could feel noticeable changes. His muscles were denser, his reflexes sharper. Punches that would have strained him before now came easily.

His body felt fundamentally different by the time he reached Floor 15. Heavier somehow, like his flesh had become compressed steel. When he moved, the air itself seemed to resist slightly, pushed aside by the weight of his physical presence.

By Floor 20, he was fighting demon beasts at mid-Foundation Establishment with pure physical strength—no sword techniques, no Sword Aura, just body cultivation and martial skill.

He grabbed a demon panther by its spine and slammed it into the ground hard enough to crack stone. The lines activated, draining its blood essence in seconds.

[Floor 20 Complete.]

[Time: 1 minute 3 seconds.]

Long Chen stood in the center of the chamber, breathing steadily, and examined his body.

The improvements weren’t visible externally—he didn’t look any bigger or more muscular. But internally, everything had changed. His muscle density had increased exponentially, his bones felt like they could withstand hammer blows and his organs had been reinforced against spiritual attacks.

He tightened his fist and felt power coiling there—raw physical strength that had nothing to do with qi or spiritual techniques.

’I could probably fight a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with just my body now,’ Long Chen thought. ’No sword or techniques. Just hand-to-hand combat.’

*You could,* Azazel confirmed. *Though I wouldn’t recommend it as a primary strategy. You’re still stronger with your sword, but having this kind of physical foundation means you’re never truly unarmed.*

Long Chen nodded and prepared for the next floor—

*Wait,* Azazel said suddenly. *Before you continue, I have something for you.*

"What?"

*I’ve finally deciphered the core component of Elder Wu’s technique. The space-folding mechanism.*

Long Chen’s attention sharpened immediately. "You figured it out?"

*The principle, yes. The execution is still beyond you, but I can at least explain how it works.* Azazel’s tone grew serious. *When Elder Wu folded space, he did it by creating a temporary connection between two points in reality. Think of it like punching a hole through a wall instead of walking around it.*

Information flooded into Long Chen’s mind—diagrams, concepts, spiritual energy flow patterns. It was complex, layered, and difficult to grasp.

*The key is understanding that space isn’t actually empty,* Azazel continued. *It’s a fabric—a structure made of laws and energy. When you compress that fabric, when you fold it, distances become meaningless. Point A and Point B occupy the same location temporarily.*

Long Chen processed the information as the next floor materialized. "And how do I do that?"

*With your current cultivation? You can’t. Not fully, but you can attempt a simplified version—compressing space in a straight line instead of folding it completely. It won’t achieve true teleportation, but it will make your strikes significantly faster by reducing the distance they need to travel.*

"How much faster?"

*If you master it? Your sword could move so quickly it would seem instantaneous to anyone below Core Formation Realm.*

Long Chen drew Demon Dweller as the Floor 21 guardian appeared—a demon bear radiating Foundation Establishment Stage 7 cultivation.

"Show me."

Azazel transmitted the technique directly into Long Chen’s consciousness—a pattern of spiritual energy manipulation that required precise control and perfect timing.

Long Chen absorbed it, then looked at the demon bear.

"Let’s try this."